When Paul Jubb steps on court on Tuesday in the first round at Wimbledon, it will be the latest chapter in the teenager’s extraordinary story – from Hull council estate to the All England Club via a US college.

Jubb, 19, has overcome obstacles that would defeat most of us. Soon after he was born his Yorkshireman father, Shaun, a soldier, took his own life; a few years later his mother, Jacinta, who was from Kenya, died. It was a financial struggle, but his grandmother Valerie, Shaun’s mum, raised him.

Hull council estates and park courts aren’t known as breeding grounds of top tennis players, but Jubb was a naturally athletic child and could have had a football career – he was invited to a youth trial at Hull City. But the tennis bug had taken hold; ever since, at the age of five, he was spotted at an after-school club by local tennis coach Jonny Carmichael, who still works with him today.

It was LTA coach James Trotman who urged Jubb to apply for a tennis scholarship in the US. At 16 he started a four-year degree in retail management at South Carolina University, and in May he won the prestigious NCAA final, a title previously won by John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors.

‘I want to make the people who have helped me proud’

Jubb is in his element at SCU, saying: “I was just so eager to get on the court there and start putting in work. Everything clicked straight away.”

The teenager is softly spoken, with a trace of US-softened vowels, and quietly amusing in press conferences. He has a striking mixture of humility and self-awareness; he knows he’s talented, but also that talent will take a sportsman only so far, and hard work and dedication matter just as much.

And he clearly feels a sense of duty those who have helped him, saying this week: “A big thing for me is just making the people who have helped me along the way proud.”

He doesn’t speak about his parents, other than: “My parents are not with me any more. I think that is basically where I draw my line. That’s all that needs to be said.” He honours their memory with a tattoo of their names on his left side.

He does, however, happily talk about Valerie, and jokily admits to fearing her wrath if he were to misbehave. “She used to say she’d bring me off the court if I started throwing my racket and things like that.”

The prize for winning the NCAA title is a spot in the main draw of the US Open, but as a non-American Jubb doesn’t qualify. Instead, he was given a wildcard for Wimbledon, and he tweeted with delight: “As a young lad growing up in Hull it was a big dream to get to SW19.”

‘It’s going to be tough’

Paul Jubb waves to the crowd after losing his match against Taylor Fritz of the USA at Eastbourne (Getty Images)

He meets Joao Sousa from Portugal in the first round, and it will be difficult to get past the world No45, but in qualifying for the Nature Valley International at Eastbourne this week Jubb dispatched world No 81 Andrey Rublev and world No 105 Dennis Istomin.

But however far he goes, he won’t be picking up his winnings (£45,000 for a first-round loser) because he’s still an amateur; that goes to the NCAA and can be used only for tournament expenses. Jubb said of his draw: “It’s going to be a tough match. I’m just going to compete really hard, like I always do, and enjoy the experience.”

He will complete his degree and says he’s in no hurry to join the ATP tour just yet. Would anything change those plans? “If I win Wimbledon maybe!” Now that would be a story to tell.

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